Editing Stevie Ray Vaughan (section)

== Equipment ==
{{Main|Stevie Ray Vaughan's musical instruments}}

=== Guitars ===
Vaughan owned and used a variety of guitars during his career. His guitar of choice, and the instrument that he became most associated with, was the [[Fender Stratocaster]], his favorite being a 1963 body with a 1962 neck and [[Pickup (music technology)|pickups]] dated from 1959; hence Vaughan usually referring to it as a "1959 Strat". He explained why he favored this guitar in a 1983 interview: "I like the strength of its sound. Any guitar I play has got to be pretty versatile. It's got a big, strong tone and it'll take anything I do to it."{{sfn|Nixon|1983|p=21}} Vaughan also referred to this instrument as his "first wife", or "Number One".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://kkguitar.com/blues-guitarists/stevie-ray-vaughan|title=Stevie Ray Vaughan|work=Keen Kord Guitar|access-date=September 17, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180221234801/http://kkguitar.com/blues-guitarists/stevie-ray-vaughan|archive-date=February 21, 2018|url-status=usurped}}</ref> Another favorite guitar was a slightly later Strat he named 'Lenny' after his wife, Lenora. While at a local pawn shop in 1980, Vaughan had noticed this particular guitar, a 1965 Stratocaster that had been refinished in red, with the original sunburst finish peeking through. It also had a 1910 Mandolin inlay just below the bridge. The pawn shop was asking $300 for it, which was way more than Vaughan had at the time. Lenny saw how badly he wanted this guitar, so she got six of their friends to chip in $50 each, and bought it for him. The guitar was presented to him on his birthday in 1980, and that night, after bringing "Lenny" (the guitar, and wife) home with him, he wrote the song, "Lenny".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/texas-flood-mw0000090316|title=Texas Flood – Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble, Stevie Ray Vaughan &#124; Songs, Reviews, Credits|website=AllMusic|access-date=May 31, 2021}}</ref> He had started using a borrowed Stratocaster during high school and used Stratocasters predominantly in his live performances and recordings, although he did play other guitars, including custom guitars.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://srvarchive.com/guitars|title=Stevie's Gear – Guitars|website=Srvarchive.com|access-date=February 2, 2022}}</ref>

[[File:Jim Hamilton custom Stevie Ray Vaughan reproduction.jpg|thumb|Jim Hamilton-signed Stevie Ray Vaughan reproduction guitar#01]]
[[File:Jim Hamilton signature on rear of headstock.jpg|thumb|Jim Hamilton signature on rear of headstock]]

One of the custom guitars—nicknamed "Main"—was built by James Hamilton of Hamiltone Guitars in Buffalo, New York. It was a gift from [[Billy Gibbons]] of ZZ Top. Gibbons had commissioned Hamilton to build the guitar in 1979. There were some delays, including having to re-do the mother of pearl inlay of Vaughan's name on the fretboard when he changed his stage name from Stevie Vaughan to Stevie Ray Vaughan. The guitar was presented to him by [[Jimmy Hamilton|Jim Hamilton]] on April 29, 1984. Hamilton recalls that Stevie Ray Vaughan was so happy with the guitar that he played it that night at Springfest on the University of Buffalo campus. It remained one of the main guitars he used on stage and in studio. Vaughan made some alterations to the guitar, including replacing the bronze color Gibson knobs with white Fender knobs, as he preferred the ribbing on the Fender knobs. The pickups had to be changed after the guitar was used in the "Couldn't Stand the Weather" video, in which Stevie and "Main" were drenched with water, and the pickups were ruined. Vaughan's preferred guitar has been summarized as his,
<blockquote>Number One Strat, which Stevie claimed to be a '59, since that was the date stamped on the back of the pickups… this was incorrect, however, as guitar tech Rene Martinez (who oversaw SRV's guitars since 1980) found the stamp of 1963 on the body and 1962 on the original neck (the neck was replaced in 1989 after it could no longer be refretted properly; Rene used the neck from another SRV favorite, "Red", as it was also a 1962 model). The pickups are also relatively low output, not the hot overwound myth that gained legs during the 80s… all 3 pickups are rumored to be under 6k ohms output impedance, which would be typical of a 1959 set (the neck pickups tended to be hottest, but not by much). Although the Fender SRV signature model uses Texas Special pickups, which Stevie was heavily involved in the making of, they do not accurately represent the sound of his original Number One.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.voodooguitar.net/2016/09/the-srv-gear-guide.html|title=SRV's Gear Guide|website=Voodooguitar.net|access-date=February 2, 2022}}</ref></blockquote>

Vaughan bought many Stratocasters and gave some away as gifts. A sunburst Diplomat Strat-style guitar was purchased by Vaughan and given to his girlfriend Janna Lapidus to learn to play on.{{sfn|Hopkins|2011|p=326}} Vaughan used a custom set of uncommonly heavy strings, gauges .013, .015, .019, .028, .038, .058, and tuned a half-step below [[standard tuning]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.stringjoy.com/stevie-ray-vaughans-guitar-string-gauges/ |title=Stevie Ray Vaughan's Guitar String Gauges |website=Stringjoy.com |date=December 20, 2014 |access-date=August 13, 2016}}</ref> With these heavy string sizes, it was not uncommon for him to separate his fingernail because of his quick movement along the strings. The owner of an Austin club recalled Vaughan coming into the office between sets to borrow super glue, which he used to keep a fingernail split from widening while he continued to play. The super glue was suggested by Rene Martinez, who was Stevie's guitar technician. Martinez eventually convinced Stevie to change to slightly lighter strings. He preferred a guitar neck with an asymmetrical profile (thicker at the top), which was more comfortable for his thumb-over style of playing. Heavy use of the vibrato bar necessitated frequent replacements; Vaughan often had his roadie, Byron Barr, obtain custom stainless steel bars made by Barr's father.{{sfn|Hopkins|2011|p=323}} As for his usage of plectrums, Vaughan preferred Fender medium gauge guitar picks, using one of the rounder shoulders of the pick rather than the pointed tip to pluck and strum the strings.

Vaughan was also photographed playing a [[Rickenbacker]] Capri, a [[National String Instrument Corporation|National Duolian]], [[Epiphone]] Riviera, [[Gibson Flying V]], as well as several other models.{{sfn|Hopkins|2011|pp=325–326}} Vaughan used a [[Johnny Smith#Gibson Johnny Smith|Gibson Johnny Smith]] to record "Stang's Swang", and a [[Guild Guitar Company|Guild 12-string acoustic]] for his performance on ''[[MTV Unplugged]]'' in January 1990.{{sfn|Hopkins|2011|p=326}} On June 24, 2004, one of Vaughan's Stratocasters, the aforementioned "Lenny" strat, was sold at an auction to benefit [[Eric Clapton]]'s [[Crossroads Centre]] in [[Antigua]]; the instrument was bought by [[Guitar Center]] for $623,500.{{sfn|Hopkins|2011|p=324}}

=== Amplifiers and effects ===
Vaughan was a catalyst in the revival of vintage amplifiers and effects during the 1980s. His loud volume required powerful and robust amplifiers. Vaughan used two black-face [[Fender Super Reverb]]s, which were crucial in shaping his clear overdriven sound. He would often blend other amps with the Super Reverbs, including black-face [[Fender Vibroverb]]s,{{sfn|Hopkins|2011|p=326}} and brands including [[Dumble Amplifiers|Dumble]] and [[Marshall Amplification|Marshall]], which he used for his clean sound.{{sfn|Hopkins|2011|pp=326–327}}

While an [[Ibanez Tube Screamer]] and a [[Vox (musical equipment)|Vox]] wah-wah pedal were his mainstay effects,{{sfn|Hopkins|2011|p=327}} Vaughan experimented with a range of effects. He used a [[Fender Vibratone]],{{sfn|Hopkins|2011|p=326}} designed as a [[Leslie speaker]] for electric guitars which provided a warbling chorus effect; it can be heard on the track "Cold Shot". He used a vintage Dallas Arbiter [[Fuzz Face]] that can be heard on ''[[In Step]]'', as well as an [[Octavia (effects pedal)|Octavia]].{{sfn|Hopkins|2011|p=327}} The Guitar Geek website provides a detailed illustration of Vaughan's 1985 equipment set up based on interviews with his guitar tech and effects builder, [[César Díaz (guitarist)|Cesar Diaz]].<ref>Cooper, Adam (2000). [http://www.guitargeek.com/stevie-ray-vaughan-1985-guitar-rig-and-gear-setup-diagram/ "Stevie Ray Vaughan's 1985 Guitar Rig Diagram"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924035140/http://www.guitargeek.com/stevie-ray-vaughan-1985-guitar-rig-and-gear-setup-diagram |date=September 24, 2015 }}. GuitarGeek.Com.</ref>